Jakarta seeks answers as army chief denied entry to US

By Ainur Rohmah YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia The Indonesian Foreign Ministry said Sunday that it has asked for clarification from the U.S. over denying entry to army commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo.Nurmantyo and his wife were scheduled to attend a conference to be held on Monday and Tuesday in Washington DC upon invitation from the Commander of the Armed Forces of the United States, Gen. Joseph F Durford, Jr. According to local media, the delegation had arranged to depart from Jakarta on Saturday afternoon with an Emirates flight. However, shortly before departure, there was a notice from the airline that Nurmantyo and his wife had been refused entry by the U.S. Custom and Border Protection. Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir told Anadolu Agency that the Indonesian embassy in the U.S. has sent diplomatic notes to the State Department for clarification. "The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Washington DC has sent a diplomatic note to the U.S. Foreign Ministry asking for clarification regarding the incident," said Nasir. The Indonesian Foreign Ministry also summoned the U.S. ambassador in Jakarta on Monday to provide an explanation.